Clothesline mounting means



March 15, 1949. w, K, HENRY 2,464,575

CLOTHES LINE MOUNTING MEANS Filed Aug. 9, 1946 INVENTOR.

QMY/inm A, He/71y- M WM 14 TTORNFY Patented Mar. 15, 1949 UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to clothes line mounting means and an object of this invention is to provide simple and efficient means for mounting a plurality of clothes lines in such a manner that they can be quickly and easily slackened or tightened to facilitate hanging clothes on said lines or removing clothes from said lines and to keep the clothes at a safe distance from the ground while they are on the clothes lines.

Another object is to provide clothes line mounting means comprising a rotatively supported cross arm, clothes lines each having one end portion secured to a fixed support and the other end portion secured to said cross arm and arranged to wind thereon, and means for rotatively moving the cross arm to vary the tension and sag of the clothes lines.

Another object is to provide clothes line mounting means that will save time and labor and that will make it easier for persons, particularly women, to hang the clothes on the lines and remove them from the lines.

Other objects are to provide clot-hes line mounting means of simple construction that is not expensive to manufacture, that is easy to install, that is eificient in tensioning and slacking the clothes lines and that is easy to operate.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent. from the following description taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation with parts broken away of clothes line mounting means constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a View on a larger scale than Fig. 1 looking in the direction of broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing a clothes line tensioning lever in a lowered position.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken substantially on broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

.Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the top end portion of the post shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

I Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating an installation of my invention on a wooden clothes line post, fragments only of the post being shown.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing a modification of my invention that is adapted to be applied to a wooden clothes line post having a wooden cross arm there- Fig. '7 is a detached exploded perspective view of the modification shown in Fig. 6.

I Like reference numerals designate like parts through the several views.

Figs. 1 to 4 show this invention as applied to metal clothes line poles or posts. Fig. 1 shows I 0 and H having their respective bottom end portions embedded in blocks 12 of concrete that are preferably set about flush with the surface of the ground. Preferably the portion of each post it] and II that is embedded in the concrete block I2 is provided with one or more rigid'outwardly protruding lugs 13 which anchor the post more firmly in the block of concrete and prevent rotary movement of the post.

One of the posts, such as the post II, is provided with a rigid cross arm I4, which may be welded thereto. A plurality of clothes lines I5 are secured to this cross arm Id at spaced apart intervals and in any suitable manner.

The other post II] has a tubular sleeve l8, Fig. 4, secured, as by welding, to its upper end and extending crosswise thereof. The sleeve l6 has a longitudinal slot I! in its uppermost portion extending from one end thereof to a point above the post [0. The sleeve I6 is also provided with a circumferential slot l8 disposed above the post In and extending from the top of the post l0 upwardly and about half way around the sleeve 15 and intersecting the longitudinal slot I 'l. The top end portion of the post In preferably has a notch l9 that registers with the slot l8 in the sleeve IS.

The sleeve I6 is adapted to telescopically receive and rotatively support a tubular metal cross arm 20. The cross arm 20 has an outwardly protruding lever arm 2| fixedly secured thereto. The lever arm 2| is of small enough cross sectional dimensions so that it can be moved lengthwise into and out of the slot l1 and can be moved angularly within the slot I8 between a substantially upright position as shown by full lines in Fig. l and a downwardly inclined position, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 1. Obviously angular movement of the lever arm 2| will rotatively move the cross arm 20. The clothes lines l5 wind on and are fixedly secured to the cross arm 20 in such a manner that they will be tightened and loosened by rotary movement of said cross arm 20. One way of securing these clothes lines to the cross arm 20 is to pass them through holes 22 in the cross arm 2!] and then knot or twist the ends of the clothes lines. The cross arm 20 can be rotatively moved to slacken the clothes lines l5, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, or to tension said clothes lines, as shown by dot and dash lines.

The lever arm 2| on the cross arm 20 is connected by 'a link 23 with a manually operated lever 24. The hand lever 24 is fulcrumed, by a pivot 25, on a bracket 26 that is rigid With the upright post I0.

The pivot 25 is positioned far enough outwardly from the post l0 so that the line of pull of the link 23 will be between the center of the pivot '25v and the post ill when the clothes lines I5 are tensioned and the bottom end of the lever '24 rests against the post l0. Thus the line tensioning means will be automatically locked by reason of the line of pull of the link 23 passing the center of the pivot 25 when the lines It are under tension.

When the lever 24 is moved outwardly and upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 the lines IE will be slackened .and the lever 24 will be held in an elevated position, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, by the weigh-t and pull of the lines l5. Preferably a plurality of holes are provided in the hand lever 24 to provide for some adjustment of the point of connection of the link 23 with said lever.

The lever arm 24 is within easy reach of a person who is standing on the ground and is easily moved between a slack line position and a tight line position. This clothes line mounting means reduces the labor involved in hanging out and taking down clothes. The lines 15 are adjusted so that when they are slackened they are lowered into a position as shown by full lines in Fig. 1 in which position they are easy to reach but are high enough to keep the clothes that are being hung on said lines clear of the ground. After the clothes are all hung the lever 24 is moved downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 3 thereby tensioning thelines and lifting the clothes to a safe height above the ground. When the clothes are to be taken off the lines said lines are again slackened to lower them into a position within easy reach for the purpose of removal.

Fig. 5 shows the tubular sleeve l6 of this invention secured, as by a Weld 21, to an angle bracket 28 that is applicable to the upper end portion of a wooden clothes line post 29. The cross arm 28 and operating mechanism therefor, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, can be used along with the parts shown in Fig. .6 except that a mounting bracket 311' having a base 3| which can be secured to the post 28 by screws 32 will preferably be provided.

In clothes lines that are already installed and in use it is frequently found that wooden clothes line posts, such as the post 33 of Fig. 6 are provided with conventional wooden cross arms 34 having holes 35 therein through which the lines are passed. To adapt this invention to previously installed clothes lines-of this type without change or removal of the cross arms 34 I pref erably provide bracket and roller and lever means of the form shown in Figs. 6 and '7. The bracket means therein shown comprises a cross bar 36 adapted to extend across and rest against the post 33 and having two upright arms 31 provided with surfaces 38 adapted to rest against the cross arm 34. Notches 3.9 in the arms 31 are adapted to receive bearing pins 40 on the ends of a roller 4!, which may be of wood. The roller 4| has suitable holes 42 therein to receive the lines I5. A lever arm #3 is secured to the roller 4! A chain t3 on the outer end portion of the lever 42 is adapted to be engaged with a hook 44 in the post 33 to secure the lever 42 to the post 33 and hold the lines I5 under tension. Preferably this chain 43 is long enough so that when the lever '42 is in its raised position the chain 43 can be easily grasped to facilitate pulling the lever 42 down. Obviously the chain 43 provides for securing the lever 42 different adjusted positions depending upon the tightness of clothes lines desired. The bar 36 can be secured to the post 33 if desired but the lines H: which pass through the holes 35 in the-cross arm 34 will support the bar 3B-and-r-oller-4l in the proper-position even if the bar 35 is not thus secured to the post 33. Tension of the lines IE will prevent displacement of the bearing pins 40 from the notches 39. The lever H is not self locking and in thisv respect differs from the devices shown in Figs. 1 i304. In other respects the operation of the devices shown in Figs. 6 and '7 is similar to the operation of the iii) structure of Figs. 1 to 4..

Obviously changes in this invention may be made within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Clothes line mounting means comprising an upright post; a horizontal cross arm rotatively mounted on said post; clothes lines each having one end portion secured to a fixed support 'and the other end portion secured to said cross arm and arranged to wind thereon; a lever armsecured to said cross arm; bracket means carried by said post; a hand lever fulcrumed on said bracket by pivot means positioned at a distance from said post; and alink connecting said llever arm with said hand lever whereby saidcross arm may be rctatively moved by swinging movement of said hand lever, the line of pull of said link being bet-ween the bracket and the post when the non-pivoted end portion of the lever rests against the post to thereby provide a self-locking structure.

2. Clothes line mounting meanscomprising an upright post; a horizontal sleeve carried by the upper end portion of said upright post; a cylindrical cross arm 'rotatively supported in said sleeve; clothes lines each having one end portion secured to a fixed support and the other end portion secured to said cross arm and arrangedto wind thereon; a lever arm secured'to said cross arm; a hand lever pivotally mounted on said post; and a link connecting said lever arm with said hand lever whereby said cross arm may be rotatively moved to vary the tension and sag of said clothes line.

3. Clothes line mounting means comprising an upright post; a cylindrical bearing sleeve rigidly secured to the upper end portion of said post crosswise thereof, said sleeve having a longitudinal slot in its upper portion extending inwardly from one end thereof and having a-circumferential slot positioned above the post and intersecting the inner end portion of said longitudinal slot; a cylindrical cross arm rotatively supported in said sleeve; a lever arm secured to said cross arm and extending outwardly therefrom, said lever arm being of smaller cross sectional dimensions than said slots whereby it is movable in said slots; clothes lines each having one end portion secured to a fixed support and the other end portion secured to said cross arm and arranged to wind thereon; and means for moving said lever to vary the tension of said clothes lines.

l. Clothes line mounting means comprising an upright post; a horizontal cross arm rotatively mounted on said. post; clothes lines each having one end portion secured to a fixed support and the other end portion secured to said cross arm and arranged to wind thereon; a lever arm secured to said cross arm; a hand lever pivotally mounted on said post; and a link connecting said lever arm with said hand lever whereby said cross arm may be rotatively moved to vary the tension (References on following page) REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the 66752:; file of this patent: 332 2:; UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 1,140,787 Number Name Date 329,492 Schupp Nov. 3, 1885 2:399:07)

647,911 Tucker Apr. 17, 1900 6 Name Date Hoover Feb. 5, 1901 Fererro Sept. 13, 1904 Willard Feb. 28, 1911 Baeumle May 25, 1915 Johnson May 27, 1919 Robertson July 18, 1939 Swanson Apr. 23, 1946 

